Suits Them Fine

While on a recent hiatus from USA series Suits, stars Patrick J. Adams, Sarah Rafferty, Gabriel Macht and Rick Hoffman were happy to suit up and talk up the styles seen on their characters on this much-loved legal drama.

Now in its fourth season, the Universal Cable Productions (UCP) series may have first drawn fans who were first drawn to its two fetching primary leads, Macht and Adams — then discovered an even more engaging world than expected.  

"They may be very handsome, but (Macht and Adams) approach their work as character actors," says Jeff Wachtel, president and chief content officer for UCP parent company NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment Group.

"And then we have Rick Hoffman, an actor’s actor," Wachtel continues. "Rick has taken a role that could have been something of a silly cliché in Louis Litt and instead turned it into a classic."

Adams, Macht, Hoffman and Raffery — a quite fun foursome as seen in Emmy magazine's exclusive behind-the-scenes video —  talk seriously below about how some very conscious wardrobe choices influence how they shape their characters: 

Patrick J. Adams

On Mike Ross

“Mike Ross has to wear suits every day, and I do my best to stay out of them as much as possible,” Adams says with a laugh. But his character — a college dropout and former drug trafficker — hasn’t always been so well turned out.

Watch Exclusive Video:  Suits | Inside the Emmy Magazine Shoot

“Mike started out not knowing anything about fashion, and the suits were [deliberately] ill fitting,” Adams recalls. But when Adams himself started to figure out which designers’ looks suited him (namely, Burberry and Zegna), his character’s fashion sense also evolved.

“I stopped going to fittings, saying, ‘Give me anything — it’ll be fine.’ I realized it’s about confidence. There’s something evoked by how people wear their clothes, rather than just what they wear.”

Now into season 4 as the right-hand man to legal hotshot Harvey Specter, Adams has discovered how a well-tailored suit can aid character. “It forces you to stand up straight and own the space you’re in,” he says. “It forces you to be confident.”

Sarah Rafferty

On Donna Paulsen

“When you’re wearing Valentino, you don’t mess around,” says Rafferty, who plays Harvey’s all-knowing and sexy secretary, Donna Paulsen. “It’s like when you wear a uniform to school, you know that the day has begun. I feel like that with Donna.”

When defining the character, Rafferty and costume designer Jolie Andreatta decided on a sleek silhouette from designers such as Roland Mouret and Burberry. Off screen Rafferty, a mother of two, eschews the “unaffordable” and goes for comfort.

On screen, “Donna is almost always in a dress,” the actress notes. “She has to be a reflection of Harvey, but she can have more fun. This season, she was wearing electric blue and this great, spring green Burberry lace coat. The clothes are amazing!”

Gabriel Macht

On Harvey Specter

When selecting a suit for super-lawyer Harvey Specter, only Tom Ford will do. “I like his power lapel,” Macht says. “It’s wide — it symbolizes strength. And I like that the jacket is not completely contoured, but is very fitting. That look is really smart and strong.”

For the actor, who favors jeans and combat boots in his off hours, Harvey’s wardrobe takes him from comfortable to commanding in a heartbeat. “When you put on threads that are that refined, it elevates and creates a more sophisticated look and presentation,” Macht says. “And Harvey is a man about business.”

But in the third season, he suffered some losses. “I think that makes for even more humanity,” Macht observes. “He’s taken a leap into this relationship with Scottie [Abigail Spencer]. He’s trying to be kind, open and truthful. But how can he be truthful when his associate is a total fraud?”


Rick Hoffman

On Louis Litt

“We genuinely like each other,” Hoffman says of his relationship with his castmates. Unfortunately, the same can’t always be said for his character, Louis Litt, and his legal colleagues.

“He’s kind of the poor man’s Harvey. He wants to be like Harvey,” Hoffman says of Louis. But his style choices set him apart. “Louis never has his jacket open, ever. His suit is his shield. It protects him from all his insecurities and fears.”

Still, Hoffman has managed to turn a character conceived as a foil to the Mike-and-Harvey bromance into a guy with his own catchphrase, #LittUp. “I swore I never would have a catchphrase — I would make fun of those actors,” Hoffman says. “Now my friends make fun of me. But any actor who would complain about the situation I’m in right now might as well get out of the business, because it really doesn’t get any better than this.”

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Style Credits:

Group Photo: Patrick J. Adams’ suit and shirt by Burberry; Sarah Rafferty’s jacket by AS by DF, Dress by Missguided; Gabriel Macht’s vest and pants by John Varvatos, shirt by Burberry; Rick Hoffman’s sweater by Zara, Pants by Tommy Hilfiger.
Photographed by Jack Guy in Los Angeles at the L.A. Lofts
Styling: Vanessa Geldbach/Exclusive Artists
Grooming: Louise Moon
Hair for Sarah Rafferty for Patrick Jagaille/The Milton Agency
Makeup for Rafferty: Chantal Moore/Cloutier Remix/Clinique

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Updated article based on "Suits Them Fine" pictorial, originally published in Emmy magazine issue no. 2014-02